Small Business Spotlight: Homegrown College Grill Cleaners

BEDFORD, NY — Every local business has a story worth sharing with the community. And that's the belief behind this exciting series — to shine the spotlight on all our favorite local businesses, and to learn a little about the ones we may not know that well.

• Business: Homegrown College Grill Cleaners
• Owners: Will Wortmann, Lucas Beni, Jon Hansan
• Website: https://homegrowncgc.wixsite.com/mysite
• Address: 64 Loop Road, Bedford NY 10506

How did you come up with the name?
Originally named B&W Grill Cleaners, Homegrown College Grill Cleaners aims to please all customers through substantially cleaning and degreasing the interior and exterior of every part of their grill. Our name came about through founding the business in 2017 as college students. We want this name to help build our reputation, as we started this business in our hometowns, Bedford and Pound Ridge, which became the birthplace for a very successful business. In addition, we would like our business to serve as a platform for future college students to expand their entrepreneurial spirits in a way that allows college students to grow as students, as well as future leaders.

Why start a business in this town?
The three of us were born and raised within the area, and have grown and understood the way to effectively market and grow as a competitive grill cleaning business. In addition, we feel there are very few grill cleaning businesses in the tri-state area that will serve a much needed market within Westchester County. This will allow us to expand exponentially as a business, as well as supply a much needed service to all customers.

What business are you in?
We are in the cleaning services industry. We primarily just clean outdoor barbecue grills, but can provide help for minor fixes depending on individual needs. In addition, we will refill any and all propane tanks needed to help a customer's grill work smoothly.

What’s the most difficult challenge you’ve faced as a business owner?
The most difficult challenge we have faced was perfecting our grill cleaning craft. There are many ways to clean a grill, however, not all provide the cleanest results. We conducted a trial and error method on many grill cleaning products. Through endless struggles, we were able to find products capable of providing an in-depth cleaning of all grills in an eco-friendly manner, all while improving the longevity of our customers' grills.

What’s been your proudest achievement since opening?
Our product achievement was when we entered Gettysburg College’s Entrepreneurial Fellowship Competition (Will Wortmann '19) in the spring of 2019, and through endless support from our friends and family, we were awarded grant money to expand and support our business for the future. We went through a "Shark Tank"-type competition where we competed against multiple individuals who were proposing various business ideas such as new iPhone apps, fitness programs and more. This achievement allowed us to grow as a business by becoming confident in our work, and believing in our ability to become a successful grill cleaning business within the area.

How does your business give back to the community?
Homegrown College Grill Cleaners will serve as a model for future entrepreneurs within Westchester County who look to expand their business mindset, as well as create a steady income for themselves during their summer college months by creating their own business. Finding a college internship for anyone is tough, we each struggled to find quality internships that provided a steady income, as well as helped us grow as students. We hope Homegrown College Grill Cleaners will help give back to the community through providing a resource for future entrepreneurs to reach out to for help, as well as expand their mindsets to become leaders for the future.

Would you like to see your small business showcased by Patch? Email editor Michael Woyton.

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